ST. LOUIS – Eight-time PBR World Finals qualifier Fabiano Vieira is close to getting back to his usual jovial self this week.

A day after he underwent reconstructive right shoulder surgery, Vieira was able to once again joke about his fear of needles.

“I was scared, but I didn’t see nothing,” Vieira said while Paulo Crimber was driving him home from the hospital. “He put me asleep and fixed my shoulder.”

Crimber added with a laugh, “If he would have saw the size of the needle they used, he may have passed out or would have ran out of the room.”

Dr. Tandy Freeman performed the surgery in Dallas this week after Vieira finally agreed to undergo surgery.

Vieira expects to be out of competition for six months.

“Surgery went very good,” Vieira said. “I am going back home (to Texas) and will not ride for six months. I am going to start physical therapy on Monday. I am ready.”

Vieira has been putting off surgery for years.

The 36-year-old adamantly has stated for the last five years that he would “never” undergo surgery to repair either of his now torn up and chronically unstable shoulders.

Vieira finally caved in that once concrete opinion.

He decided upon surgery after dislocating his free arm shoulder during the season-opening Monster Energy Buck Off at The Garden, presented Ariat, in New York when Losing My Religion bucked him off and onto his shoulder in 7.11 seconds.

The 10-year veteran spent three hours at a New York City hospital waiting to get his shoulder put back into place, and those long hours was one reason why he finally conceded he needed to overcome his fear of needles and surgery if he wanted to continue his career.

“This last time in New York, I was in a lot of pain,” Vieira said in January. “It took so long to put my shoulder into place. It is not good to win with. My shoulder cannot stay in its place. I think now I have to.”

Vieira has been battling injuries to his shoulders since May 2, 2014.

Coincidentally, Vieira took over the world No. 1 ranking on the weekend that he first dislocated his right shoulder at the Rumble in the Rockies in Colorado Springs, Colorado, when he wasbucked off by Cowtown Slinger in 7.85 seconds.

He had already had a torn rotator cuff that year, but that weekend was the first time he dislocated it.

Vieira ultimately could not completely overcome his shoulder injury in 2014 to win the world title, but he did finish with the highest riding percentage that season (54.55 percent) and finished as the No. 5 rider in the world.

However, 2014 was the beginning of the deterioration of Vieira’s right, and eventually left, shoulder.

Vieira will likely try to accomplish what Chase Outlaw, Matt Triplett and Koal Livingston did last year and qualify for the PBR World Finals despite missing half the season because of shoulder surgery.

The Perola, Brazil, bull rider has qualified for every PBR Finals since 2011. Vieira hopes he has more than one World Finals qualification left in him before he closes the book on his career.

When will that day come?

Only time will tell, Vieira said.

“If I do the surgery and my shoulder stays in good condition, I want to ride for another 10 years,” Vieira said in January before laughing.

He then asked, “Do you think I will still ride well?”

HISTORY IN LOS ANGELES:

Vieira is the latest former PBR Major winner that will be unable to ride at STAPLES Center for next weekend’s Iron Cowboy, presented by Ariat.

Joining Vieira on the sideline is 2017 World Champion Jess Lockwood, who is out for six weeks because of a broken left collarbone.

Lockwood is one of only three riders to have won multiple PBR Majors since the PBR began the prestigious series in 2015.

The world No. 1 bull rider has won New York twice, while No. 2 Joao Ricardo Vieira has won two Iron Cowboys and one Last Cowboy Standing title.

Reigning PBR World Champion Kaique Pacheco owns the PBR record with four PBR Major victories. He has won three consecutive Last Cowboy Standing titles and one Music City Knockout championship.

Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko